Low-water alarm.



PATENTED SEPT. l2, 1905.

J. LoFTUs. LOW WATER ALARM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY l. 1905.

.. QIIIIIIII AIIIIIIIJUMK AA/im UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

YORK, ASSIMNOR OF ONE-HALF TO Sr MUEL IVATSON, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK.

Low-WATER ALARM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented sept. 12, 1905.

Application filed May l. 1905. Serial No. 258,252.

"o all. inherit [t 'Ht/tyron/cern.'

Be it known that I, J OHN LOFTUs, a citizen of the United States, residingat Albany, in the county of Albany and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Low-vater Alarms for Steam- Boilers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in low-water signals for boilers; and the object of the invention is to produce a device of this nature whereby a signal may be sounded when the water approaches the danger limit and one which will be ever ready for action in case of an emergency by reason of the fact that water from the boiler is normall y allowed to course through the apparatus, thus preventing parts from corrosion,

which might cause the apparatus to be inoperative at a critical time.

My invention comprises various details of construction and combinations of parts,as will be hereinafter more fully described and then specifically defined in the appended claims.

I illustrate my invention in the accompanyingl drawings, which, with theletters of reference marked thereon, form a part of this application, and in which- Figure I is averticalsectional view through my alarm apparatus, showing same as applied to a boiler. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of a portion of the invention.

Reference now beinghad to the details of the drawings by letter, A designates a portion of a boiler which is tapped to receive a gage-cock B, whichk is longitudinally channeled to receive the stem O, having a valve O' at one end thereof, while its other end is fastened to a hand-wheel D. A portion of the stem O is threaded, as at d, to engage threads formed in the wall of the channeled portion of said gage-cock. A boss d projects from the inner face of the hand-wheel D and tits a countersunk recess in the end of said gage-cock, as shown in the sectional view of the drawings, thus forming a gland which may be suitably' packed. An integral portion of the shell of the gage-cock is apertured, as at E, the wall l of said aperture being' threaded to receive a screw F, the head of which is counter-sunk in an aperture (i, formed in said wheel D. The shank portion of said screw between its head and threaded portion is free of the aperture in the wheel D, allowing means whereby the screw may be turned independent of the wheel. The walls of the countersunk aperture G are inclined slightly for the purpose of retaining a sealing material, which may be placed over the top of the screw when the latter has been adjusted to hold the wheel D and the shaft O from rotation and the valve C normally from being seated in the manner illustrated in the drawings. A union H, which lits over a threaded iiange B2 of the gage-cock casing, connects the pipe-section I with the latter, with which it communicates, and a pipe J, having interior threads at its upper end, connects with said section I and also carries by its threads a disk K, provided with a central nozzle K', which opens into the pipe-section l in the manner illustrated. A screen L rests over said nozzle and is provided for the pu rpose of preventing foreign mattei from clogging up the entrance to said nozzle. A blow-off cock I is provided near the lower end of the pipe-section I, whereby the latter may be relieved of its impurities which accumulate therein. f

Leading' from a branching pipe J' is a perforated head J i, through which steam is adapted to pass when the water in the boiler lowers below the entrance to the gage-cock, thus giving a signal of the condition of the water. If preferred, a whistle may be utilized instcad of the perforated head for the same purpose.

The lower end of the pipe J has an aperture formed therein, the marginal wall of which is threaded to receive a threaded pipe O, which communicates with the float-chamber O and also receives a suction-tube P, having inclined apertures formed in the wall thereof, the object of which apertures is to tend to make a suction that will carry down with the water from the nozzle any vapor that might arise from the hot water, which if not thus disposed of might give a false alarm by escaping after passing through the suetion-tubing.

IVithin the float-chamber O is afloat Q, through which a hollow stem Q/ passes airtight, and a series of perforations q is formed in the stem Q to receive any steam or vapor i l l Ioo which might enter with water from the boiler. Said stem Q is mounted to have a play in the pipes R, opening into the Boat-casing, and from the lower of which pipes R leads a discharge passage-way T. The stem Q has apertures Q2 in its circumference positioned so that when the float is resting upon the bottom of the. chamber O they will be below the bottoml ofv chamber O and prevent the passage of water therefrom. A disk Q3 is fastened to the bottom of the float Q and about thetube Q and provided for the purpose of preventing the float coming into contact with the bottom of the chamber O, so that pressure in the latter will have nearly the same effect on the top and bottom of the float.

In operation, the valve C being set open, a small quantity of water from the boiler is allowed to flow through the channel of the stemC, 'through the nozzle and suction-tube, through the pipe O, into the iioat-chamber, and when a sufficient quantity has accumulated inthe chamber Oto overcome the weight of the float the latter will rise and the water will make exit through the apertures Q2 to the discharge passage-way T. By this cone tinuous, or nearly so, passage of water from the boiler it will be observed that the passageway and the apparatus will be prevented from corrosion, thus keeping the parts in readiness for immediate use in case the water of the boiler lowers below the entrance to the gage-cock. When such an emergency arises, the steam under pressure from the boiler would rush through the gage-cock, nozzle, suction-tube into the iioat-chamber, and the exit of the steam from the bottom of the chamber cut oif by the oat-seat resting upon the bottom of the chamber will cause a back pressure, causing the steam to escape forcibly through the perforated head J2, thus giving a signal ofv the condition, of the water in the boiler.

4 By the ,provision of an apparatus made in accordance with my invention it will be observed that means is provided for equipping a locomotive with a signal which will be sounded in case of an emergency Without any intervention to the apparatus by the locomotive engineer or other persons, owing t0 the fact that the key to the apparatus, which comprises the screw for holding the valve unseated within the boiler, cannot be actuated without first breaking the seal.

While I have shown a particular form of apparatus as illustrating my invention, it will be understood that I may vary the details of the same in various ways without in any way departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim to be new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An apparatus for indicating low water in boilers, comprising in combination with a boiler, agage-cock communicating therewith,

a valve-stem passing through said; cock, and a valve at the inner end ofY the latter, a porvtion of said stem havingthreaded'connection with the wall of the channel of the cock, a

ed therein, a stem to said float regulating the exit end of said chamber, a communicating passage-way between said chamber and gagecock, a nozzle in said passage-way, and a signal-head leading from the latter as set forth.

2. An apparatus for indicating low water in boilers, comprising in combination with a boiler, a gage-cock communicating therewith, a valve-stem passing through said cock, and a valve at the inner end of the latter, a portion of said stem having threaded connection with the wall of the channel through said cock, a hand-wheel fitted to the outer end of the stem, a screw passing through an aperture of said wheel, and engaging a threaded aperture in a portion of the gage-cock casing, whereby said valve maybe held from seating, a float-chamber, a float mounted therein, a stem to said oat regulating the exit passage-way from said chamber, a communicating passage-way between said chamber and gage-cock, a nozzle in said passage-way, and

a signal-head communicating with the latter, as set forth.

3. An apparatus for indicating low water in boilers, comprising in combination with a boiler, a gage-cock communicating therewith, a valve-stem passing through said cock, and a valve at the inner end of the latter, a portion of said stem having threaded connection with the wall of the channel through said cock, a hand-wheel itted to the outer end'of said stem, a screw passing through an aperturev in said wheel and engaging a threaded aperture in a portion of the gage-cock casing whereby said valve may be held from seating, a float-chamber, a float therein, a hollow stem on which said fioat is mounted, said stem having apertures in the circumference thereof below the fi'oat, and a series of perforations in the stem above the iioat, pipes leading from the float-chamber and in which said stem is mounted, a passage-way leading from the float-chamber to and communicating with the channel of said gage-cock, a nozzle within said passage-way, and a suction-tube also mounted within the latter and having inclined apertures through its circumference, and a branching pipe leading from the passage-way and having a perforated head` as set forth. l

4. An apparatus for indicating low water in boilers comprising, in combination with a boiler, a gage-cock communicating therewith, a valve-stem passing through said cock, a valve at the inner end of said stem, a portion of said stem having threaded connection IIO with the bottom of the float-chamber, a sig'- IO nal-head, and a pipe communicating between with the wall of the channel through said cock, a hand-wheel fitted to the outer end of said stem, means for holding said wheel and i said oook and hout-chamber, es set forth.

threaded stem from rotation, a float-chamber, 5 a float mounted therein, a hollow stem passing through said float and provided with apertures in the circumference, an exit-pipe lVitnesses:

leading from the Hoet-chamber, means for EDWARD Lon'r,

preventing the float from coming in Contact GEORGE J. BORKHEIM.

In testimony whereof I hereunto alix my signature in presence ot' two witnesses.

JOHN LOF TUS. 

